1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a medical image output system for outputting a medical image signal representing a medical image of a patient.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional medical image output systems for outputting medical image signals of patients, medical images of patients are recorded, and medical image signals representing the medical images of the patients are stored in a data base. When necessary, a medical image signal is read from the data base and utilized for reproducing the medical image, which is represented by the medical image signal, as a visible image on a monitor or printing the medical image as a hard copy. The reproduced medical image is utilized in making a diagnosis of an illness. In such cases, signal retrieval is performed in accordance with information, such as the name of the patient or the identification (ID) number of the patient, and the medical image signal corresponding to the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis is thereby read from the data base and utilized for reproducing the medical image of the patient. In cases where image patterns representing the name of the patient or the ID number of the patient are reproduced together with the medical image of the patient, it can be confirmed whether the reproduced medical image is or is not the image of the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis.
However, when a medical image signal corresponding to the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis is to be read from the data base, it often occurs that an incorrect name of patient or an incorrect ID number of patient is inputted by mistake. Also, it often occurs that medical image signals corresponding to different patients of the same name are stored in the data base. Therefore, there is the risk that the reproduced medical image will not be the image of the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis. In such cases, if the image patterns representing the name of the patient or the ID number of the patient, which are reproduced together with the medical image of the patient, are confirmed strictly, it can be recognized that the reproduced medical image is not the image of the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis. However, with the name of the patient or the ID number of the patient, it is not easy to discriminate at a glance whether the name of the patient or the ID number of the patient is or is not that of the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis. Therefore, there is the risk that a diagnosis or a surgical operation will be performed on a patient in accordance with a medical image of a different patient, and a serious medical trouble will occur.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a medical image output system, wherein a medical image represented by a medical image signal is capable of being reproduced such that it is easy to recognize whether the medical image is or is not the image of a patient to be subjected to a diagnosis.
The present invention provides a medical image output system, comprising:
i) first storage means for storing medical image signals, each of which represents a medical image of a patient,
ii) second storage means for storing photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a somatic feature of a patient, and/or photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a person associated with a patient, such that it is clear which photographic image signal corresponds to which medical image signal stored in the first storage means, and
iii) output means for operating such that, in cases where the output means outputs a medical image signal representing a medical image of a certain patient from the first storage means, the output means also outputs the photographic image signal, which corresponds to the outputted medical image signal, from the second storage means.
In the medical image output system in accordance with the present invention, single storage means may act as both the first storage means and the second storage means. Alternatively, two independent storage means may be provided as the first storage means and the second storage means.
The term xe2x80x9cphotographic image of a somatic feature of a patientxe2x80x9d as used herein means the image of the feature of the patient, such as the image of the face of the patient or the image of the fingerprint of the patient, which image has one to one correspondence to the patient. The term xe2x80x9cphotographic image of a person associated with a patientxe2x80x9d as used herein means the image of the face of a member of the patient""s family attending on the patient, the image of the face of the nurse in charge, the image of the face of the medical doctor in charge, or the like, which image has one to one correspondence to the patient. In cases where there are a plurality of persons associated with the patient, the photographic image signal may be stored for each of the persons associated with the patient.
The medical image output system in accordance with the present invention should preferably be modified such that, in cases where both the photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a somatic feature of a patient, and the photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a person associated with a patient, are stored in the second storage means, the output means operates such that, when the output means outputs the medical image signal representing the medical image of the certain patient from the first storage means, the output means also outputs both the photographic image signal, which represents the photographic image of the somatic feature of the certain patient, and the photographic image signal, which represents the photographic image of the person associated with the certain patient, from the second storage means.
In such cases, the photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a somatic feature of a patient, and the photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a person associated with a patient, are stored in the second storage means, such that it is clear which photographic image signal representing a photographic image of a somatic feature of a patient corresponds to which photographic image signal representing a photographic image of a person associated with a patient.
Also, in such cases, the second storage means may comprise means for storing the photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a somatic feature of a patient, and means for storing the photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a person associated with a patient.
Further, the medical image output system in accordance with the present invention should preferably further comprise reproduction means for receiving the medical image signal and the corresponding photographic image signal from the output means, reproducing the medical image as a visible image from the received medical image signal, and reproducing the photographic image as a visible image from the corresponding photographic image signal.
In cases where the medical image and the photographic image are reproduced respectively from the medical image signal and the corresponding photographic image signal, the medical image and the photographic image may be reproduced on a single output medium. Alternatively, the medical image and the photographic image may be reproduced on two independent output media. For example, in cases where the output medium is a photosensitive material, the medical image and the photographic image may be printed on a single sheet of the photosensitive material. Alternatively, the medical image and the photographic image may be printed on two independent sheets of the photosensitive material. In cases where the medical image and the photographic image are printed on two independent sheets of the photosensitive material, the printed photographic image should preferably be attached to the printed medical image or a bag, or the like, which accommodates the printed medical image.
In cases where both the photographic image signal, which represents the photographic image of the somatic feature of a certain patient, and the photographic image signal, which represents the photographic image of the person associated with the certain patient, are received from the output means, the reproduction means reproduces both the photographic image of the somatic feature of the certain patient and the photographic image of the person associated with the certain patient as visible images from the received photographic image signals. In cases where there are a plurality of photographic image signals, which represent photographic images of persons associated with the certain patient, all of the photographic images of the persons associated with the certain patient may be reproduced as the visible images from the photographic image signals. Alternatively, only a representative photographic image (e.g., a photographic image of a member of the patient""s family attending on the patient) among the photographic images of the persons associated with the certain patient may be reproduced as a visible image.
Furthermore, the medical image output system in accordance with the present invention should preferably further comprise request means for operating such that, in cases where a certain photographic image signal has not been updated for a predetermined period after the certain photographic image signal was stored in the second storage means, the request means makes a request for storing a new photographic image signal in the second storage means.
In order for the request to be made by the request means, for example, an instruction for requesting the storing of the new photographic image signal may be displayed on the reproduction means or may be given with a voice.
With the medical image output system in accordance with the present invention, the photographic image signal, which represents the photographic image of the somatic feature of the patient, or the photographic image signal, which represents the photographic image of the person associated with the patient, is outputted together with the corresponding medical image signal. Therefore, when reference is made to the outputted photographic image signal, it can be confirmed immediately whether the outputted medical image signal is or is not the one representing the medical image of the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis. Accordingly, the problems can be prevented from occurring in that a diagnosis or a surgical operation is performed on a patient in accordance with a medical image of a different patient and a serious medical trouble occurs.
With the medical image output system in accordance with the present invention, wherein the medical image is reproduced as a visible image from the medical image signal and the photographic image is reproduced as a visible image from the corresponding photographic image signal, when the reproduced photographic image is seen, it can be confirmed at a glance whether the medical image is or is not the image of the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis.
Also, with the medical image output system in accordance with the present invention, in cases where both the photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a somatic feature of a patient, and the photographic image signals, each of which represents a photographic image of a person associated with a patient, are stored in the second storage means, both the photographic image signal, which represents the photographic image of the somatic feature of a certain patient, and the photographic image signal, which represents the photographic image of the person associated with the certain patient, may be outputted together with the corresponding medical image signal. In such cases, an increased number of pieces of information, with which the patient is capable of being confirmed, can be obtained. Therefore, the confirmation as to whether the outputted medical image signal is or is not the one corresponding to the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis can be made more accurately.
In cases where a comparatively long period has elapsed after a medical image signal corresponding to a certain patient was acquired, it may occur that the appearance of the patient changes, or the nurse in charge or the medical doctor in charge is altered. In such cases, if the medical image signal corresponding to the patient is outputted together with the photographic image signal, it will be difficult to make the confirmation as to whether the outputted medical image signal is or is not the one corresponding to the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis. In order for the aforesaid problems to be eliminated, with the medical image output system in accordance with the present invention, in cases where a certain photographic image signal has not been updated for a predetermined period after the certain photographic image signal was stored in the second storage means, a request for storing a new photographic image signal in the second storage means may be made by the request means. In this manner, the new photographic image signal can be stored in the second storage means. Therefore, even if the appearance of the patient changes, or the nurse in charge or the medical doctor in charge is altered, the confirmation can be made accurately as to whether the outputted medical image signal is or is not the one corresponding to the patient to be subjected to a diagnosis.